This invention relates to providing systems for assisting a user in practicing dallying. Dallying is the act of wrapping a rope around the horn of a saddle. Dallying is one of the fundamental skills involved in roping which many cowboys and cowgirls need to practice for roping competition in tournaments, rodeos, etc. It is important for such cowboys and cowgirls to achieve a high level of skill at dallying. Speed and proper technique can give a competitive advantage and improper dallying can result in serious injuries. For example, team roping is a timed contest in a rodeo that features two cowpersons competing together: a “header” and a “heeler”. The header ropes the steer's head, dallies (wraps the end of the rope around the saddle horn) and pulls the steer with the rope. The heeler then ropes the back legs of the steer, dallies, and stops his horse. When the heeler catches and dallies and both ropes are tight, the header stops and turns his horse to face the heeler, and the clock is stopped. The team with the fastest time wins the competition.
It is especially important for the heeler to dally soon after roping the steer for at least two reasons: 1) to stop the steer from pulling the rope out of the heeler's hands; and 2) to complete the run and stop the clock as fast as possible. The force the steer exerts on the rope can make dallying difficult. The heeler must judge the slack in the rope and how quickly the slack is being taken up. The heeler must also judge whether and how much rope to let slip to create more slack, if necessary.
The heeler's/dallyer's fingers can be smashed or even ripped off by the tension in the rope if dallying is not accomplished properly. For these reasons it is important to practice the technique of dallying—and to practice it safely.